business partner b2 tests for all units

As we continue to innovate to keep up with changes, we can assure all employees that they 10 go on several training courses during that time to develop the skills we need – whatever tha

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UNIT 1: Language and skills test

Name: _

LANGUAGE

Lesson 1.1 Vocabulary

BECV/BULATS

1 Choose the correct option a, b, c or d

Corporate culture was recognised back in the 1980s as describing the character of an organisation by looking at the beliefs and the organisational 1 of its employees It includes things such as the company’s 2 as well as its 3 code The company structure is also taken into account, particularly the 4 within a company A company’s structure can be influenced by its management 5 For example, if management is adaptable and able to respond quickly to change, employees may find that their jobs change

accordingly Technology has been one of the biggest drivers of change Large tech companies tend to encourage staff to solve problems in teams so the 6 -plan office has become popular once more This allows staff to collaborate more closely with each other, thus creating a good 7 within the working environment There also tends to be more 8 in other areas such as what staff wear These companies create the 9 of being fast-paced and modern – in fact a wonderful organisation to work for They aim to attract the best employees so the pay 10 are often above average

3 (you / achieve) by that time? It’s not easy to plan for the future these days, both personally and from a corporate perspective, as the world changes so quickly We are not even sure what kind of jobs our employees

4 (do) We know that some traditional jobs 5

(disappear) by then, while developments in

technology 6 (create) totally new kinds of work But we hope you are planning a future with us As far as our strategy to protect our future is concerned, we 7 (move) into several new markets and 8

(build) two new factories by that time Most significantly, we 9 (finish)

developing the new smart fabric we’re working on As we continue to innovate to keep up with changes, we can assure all employees that they

10 (go) on several training courses during that time to develop the skills we need – whatever that future may be

/10

Lesson 1.3 Functional language

PTE Part H Response selection

3 [BP_B2_Test_01_001.mp3] Listen to the

speaker and choose the correct answer a, b or c 1 a b c

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Name: _

BULATS

4 Complete the text with ONE word in each gap

I’m Jan Peters I have worked at the company as a Sales Director for the last three years and I’m

1 here in the Amsterdam office I’m 2 for dealing with international orders I used to work for a smaller company in New York where my 3 task was opening up new markets I returned to the Netherlands when I got this job This is one of the most dynamic organisations to work for and I’m very proud to be 4 It’s 5 to be great working with everyone here If you need my help in any way, just let me know

1 Want to spend on three months working in our 2 office in New York, Rome or Moscow? Then 3 you are sure to be delighted to learn about that 4 we are offering for you the chance to work in 5 one of our an other offices All mid-level employees 6 who have been worked for us for more than a 7 year will be able to spend time in one of those 8 offices Click on the link if for further information 9 If you are interested in participating, please to 10 contact HR as soon as possible

Phone call from Barney Day, RECRUSTOP Concerned about our 5 process

Found out 6 about some faulty products I reassured him that our 7 were not faulty and that a written 8 will be published To send link to written apology

/8

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1 something to consider when applying for a job 2 the value of encouraging time away from work 3 the possibility of being dismissed from a job 4 a lack of promotion opportunities for staff 5 a hi-tech cause of staff demotivation

6 an example of an ineffective working environment 7 matching staff to the company culture

1 2 3 4

/7 A

Many companies are now offering their employees sabbaticals in an attempt to retain valuable staff Due to highly-pressurised work environments and being constantly connected to work via technology, many staff are stressed and tired, leading to illness or dissatisfaction Ensuring that staff have effective downtime is just as important as meeting work targets Sabbaticals are one way of getting employees to stay with a company, but if they have to stay in a pressured environment for five years before they qualify for a sabbatical, then the effectiveness of a sabbatical can be extremely limited

B

One company thought the answer to retaining experienced staff was to introduce a sabbatical programme, but it was unsuccessful The company offered excellent training for new mangers and engineers, but over 50 percent left once they had completed their training Surprisingly, although salaries were not as competitive as those of rival

companies, they were not the main issue During staff exit interviews, they indicated that the main problem was that there were no clear career development paths In fact, some older staff had been in the same position for twenty years

D

Unfortunately, some companies have a culture of fear where staff are too worried about questioning anything for fear of losing their jobs To most people it’s obvious that this would not lead to effective working practices Sadly, the root of this fear comes from the top, the people who should be setting a positive example If leaders behave in an unacceptable manner, it impacts on everyone within the organisation Unnecessary anger or criticism from a leader will demotivate even the most optimistic and enthusiastic of staff

Writing

BULATS

8 Your company wants to find out from its staff how they think their working environment can be improved It was therefore decided to hold a competition for staff to suggest improvements Write an email to all staff:

• explaining what you are planning to do and why • saying how staff can get involved

• describing the prize for the best suggestion(s) and any other points which you think are important

Write 180–200 words

/10

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UNIT 1: LCCI English for Business

Here are some notes from a recent HR meeting:

Meeting notes

Objectives:

• to build relationships between international staff • to ensure a standardised corporate culture • to involve staff in company culture Outcomes:

• webinar training for staff in different locations • language training to be offered

• company office staff exchanges – three months working in another country; conditions: minimum length of service – three years

• staff competition to design new uniform

Write the article Write 250–300 words

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Name: _

LANGUAGE

BECV/BULATS

When applying for a job, potential employees also look for signs that the company offers good career 1 They want to make sure that there is job-2 training, as such 3 courses will provide them with relevant workplace skills Companies should also provide a 4 for each new member of staff to help them develop 5 in their new positions

Many companies look for more than just excellent qualifications and a good skills 6 They aim to find staff who also demonstrate 7 intelligence, self-motivation and the ability to develop a good 8 with colleagues and team members However, companies still need to do a needs 9 to make sure that they can provide a comprehensive training policy This should include a thorough 10 programme for new employees when they start, followed by continuous learning throughout their employment

1 What about giving staff more training?

Staff training

2 It would be a good idea to employ a consultant

to help us

A consultant to help us

3 It’s possible for staff to do the training online The training online

4 It’s vital that we spend more money on the project More money on the project

5 It’s important not to forget the needs of our employees!

The needs of our

employees .

6 It’s necessary to develop a suitable training policy A suitable training policy

7 One suggestion is to improve the ordering system

The ordering system

8 We would consider recruiting more staff if it were

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Name: _

BULATS

What we’re looking to do here today is discuss the training for next year.It’s important that everyone gives their ideasso we’ll go 1 the table, just to 2 that everyone gets to say something I think we actually 3 that the training offered last year was not sufficient, so perhaps the next 4 is to think about why it wasn’t sufficient and what additional training would actually help So, let’s

5 everyone one by one and then discuss the ideas Let’s begin with you then, Ella …

1 I am writing to you request some more training as 2 I have just become a project leader I believe that it 3 is important to attend at a time management 4 course so that I can work as more efficiently 5 Another area in where I need to develop my skills 6 is delegation I need this because of I did not gain 7 enough experience last year It would be all very 8 helpful if I could do that course next month 9 I would also like to attend the time management 10 course in two weeks’ time, if it possible

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Phone message from Stephanie Klas

Called about the 1 for training programme Our email didn’t mention Time Management courses – Ms Klas has scheduled 2 for next year How many 3 courses do we want: 2, 3 or 4?

Finally, needs clarification on 4 required Arrange Skype meeting

Listening 2 Received calls log

From: Maria Harper

Called about position with 5 Engineering

Wanted info about company’s on- 6

1 David Nguyen says one reason training

programmes fail is that

a companies can’t afford a Training Manager

b the Training Manager might be too inexperienced c recruiting a good Training Manager is not easy 2 A good question to ask during a Training

Manager’s interview is:

a How would you choose the employee to be

b when job descriptions are modified c instead of a performance review

7 What does David say about justifying the cost

of training?

a well-trained staff can improve company image b training programmes are rarely cancelled c a lack of well-trained staff is a waste

/7

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Then using all your handwritten notes, write an email in reply to Steve

To: John Harding

From: Steve Barnet, Training Manager Subject: TRAINING

Further to our chat this week, I attach details of the available courses You must choose two from the list Please let me know by the end of the week which ones you would like to attend Don’t forget to explain why you think each one will help you in your current role

In-house training – 2 days

Time management – 8/9 July Dealing with conflict – 12/13 June Improving teamwork – 21/22 September

Residential courses – 3 days

Venue: ELITE TRAINING, London

Managing workload – 4/5/6 April

Working with different cultures – 14/15/16 June Motivating teams – 3/4/5 October

/10

I thought it was only

one

This one definitely

Yes, but timing not good Other dates possible?

2 or 3 nights away?

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you can do two of them as soon as possible Look

at the extract from your appraisal and the courses

offered and choose the two most appropriate

courses for you

Extract from appraisal

For improvement

You work well with your team, but sometimes you don’t communicate your message clearly enough, especially when giving feedback Some of your staff feel you need to spend more time listening to them and responding to their concerns Also, you seem to be working very long hours and having difficulty completing some tasks on time, so better planning and organisation is needed Advise doing some courses ASAP

NPY Training for all your needs COURSES FOR NEW MANAGERS NPY CS1 Communication Skills

• listening actively • giving effective feedback • dealing with difficult situations 30 hours – online course

Date: anytime Cost: €800

NPY SM Stress Management

• how stress affects body and mind • relaxation techniques

• exercise programme Two-day residential course Next course: 23/24 September Cost: €3,500

NPY EP1 Effective Planning

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Name: _

LANGUAGE

BECV/BULATS

The economy was in a severe 1 and many smaller companies were 2 bankrupt Thousands of people were losing their jobs and discovered they were no longer able to pay the 3 they had taken out on their properties Many people lost everything they owned and found themselves in a state of 4 They had to use all their 5 if they had any and there was no institution offering to 6 them out The 7 market crashed, wiping millions off share

values, and interest rates shot up The credit

8 meant that there was no borrowing as the

banks were refusing to lend anyone anything However, our company was lucky during this time because the 9 we made in new technology helped us to 10 from a critical financial situation

1 It seems like we won’t have enough money for the expansion PROBABLY

We enough money for the expansion

2 They will definitely cut staff numbers CERTAIN

They staff numbers

3 I don’t think prices will rise much this year SIGNIFICANTLY

Prices this year

4 We don’t expect costs to decrease this year UNLIKELY

Costs this year

5 A new factory is going to be built next year DUE

A new factory next year

6 There’s a strong possibility that sales will increase this quarter PROBABLY

Sales this quarter

7 We might sponsor a football team in the future

LIKELY

We a football team in the future

8 It is certain we will increase our revenue at the

same time ALSO

We are increase our revenue at the same time

9 The company will open a new office in Madrid next

year DEFINITELY

The company are a new office in Madrid next year

10 They are going to open one in Delhi, too DUE

They one in Delhi, too

/10

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Name: _

PTE Part B Sentence completion

3 Complete the sentences with ONE word in each gap

1 I’m sure that we can the situation around if we all work together

2 We’re very disappointed last year’s results They could have been better

3 We just haven’t enough progress in the key areas

4 We have to find a new to the way we do things

5 I really think it’s to look at other options, otherwise we may lose the contract

/5

2018 was a year 1 mixed results and challenges The main challenges were

2 by the global economic downturn Our gross profit was down by 8 percent, with sales revenues falling steadily over the last quarter However, 3 these challenges, we were able to maintain our annual dividend and we expect things to improve The launch of our new product line onto the global market gives us 4 to be optimistic So, the forecast for the

5 year looks very promising.

Listening 1

Melia’s notes

The following confirmed by Ken: 1 – India: 2,165 & N America 2 Sales figures

N America: $80 million S America: $45 million

To note

Lower 3 in S America Next year, expect the new product line to have a 4 on S America figures

Listening 2 Phone log

Called FDG Bank for appointment about increasing our 5

Meeting arranged 9.30 Thursday, 17th with Laura 6

Need to take audited accounts and business plan to show how 7 can be improved by property purchase

We also need to provide info on 8

/8

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It is therefore necessary to regularly reassess expenditure and look for ways to cut costs in order to boost profits The changes required can seem obvious to outsiders, but not to those busy running the company Often the first thing companies look at are overheads (indirect costs, i.e money that a business has to spend on rent, electricity, etc) and direct costs (costs relating to a particular product or service) One overhead cost for most companies is the premises it uses So, the first question is: are the premises being used efficiently or do they need to be smaller? Alternatively, could unused space be rented out to other businesses?

Other areas where overhead savings could be made are within the common processes and procedures, which can become disorganised across large organisations, and which should therefore be standardised wherever possible However, once a system or practice has been standardised, the company must monitor how it is working and ensure that employees are following any new procedures

Reviewing supplier contracts can also help to identify ways of reducing costs A company should have the best deal available from all its suppliers and needs to regularly renegotiate terms with each one However, a word of warning! Companies should be careful of cutting costs at the expense of quality Using a cheaper supplier is the quickest way to disaster if the quality is affected

A reassessment of any finance deals and loans is also wise because cheaper deals may have become available Cost-cutting ideas are not the only way to improve profits, and increasing turnover and sales is vital This can be done by re-evaluating the product or service and discovering new ways of getting the most out of existing sales For example, could a premium version of those products be added or the product range extended? Another way to increase turnover is to focus on selling more to your most loyal customers Knowing your customer base well and having a good rapport with them is very important Finally, companies should try to remember their most valuable asset

Employees are often forgotten in the everyday operations of a business, especially in larger companies Smaller family

businesses with little spare cash realise they cannot survive for long if the staff are unhappy and unable to work collaboratively In these businesses, management is still closely involved with the staff, but as a business grows managers tend to lose touch with the people who have built up the company and keep it going

Therefore, in order to move forward, companies would be well advised to maximise the use of their skilled staff and focus on the value of employee contribution to the overall success of the business By building talented teams and creating an environment of support and reward for employees, the company will achieve its goals, which will in turn lead to improved profitability

1 In the first paragraph, we learn that

a managers of smaller companies watch savings closely b large organisations focus on profitability more than

b usually pay far too much for overheads c need to be busy all the time

d work with other companies to find space

3 When reducing overheads, the article also advises a implementing more processes

b checking how staff are coping with new practices c giving staff lots of practice with new systems d operating different systems across the globe 4 In the fourth paragraph, the writer warns about a repaying expensive financial deals too quickly b agreeing to suppliers’ new terms and conditions

c damaging quality by cutting supplier costs d borrowing from banks with cheaper rates

5 To improve turnover, the writer suggests companies a increase sales to their best customers

b consider limiting the product line c offer premium versions of new products d market products to new customers 6 According to the article, employees a prefer to work in smaller companies b are happier in larger organisations c are always distant from management d are extremely important to success

7 To ensure a successful future, companies should a employ as many staff as possible

b only employ the most skilled staff c provide a motivating environment d set more challenging goals for staff

/7

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Write the report summary Write about:

• the overview of the past year

• positive and negative aspects of the past year • the future outlook and plans for the company and any other points which you think are important

/10

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Annual report – executive summary notes

• Challenging year – results mixed

• Europe / North America = economic slowdown – Europe sales down 9% & N America 7%

• Australia / SE Asia = booming economies = 30% of total sales

• Total growth 2.5% • Total sales $23 million • Lower operating costs needed • Investment = factory in India • Dividends 2%

• Future plans – lower costs, restructuring – looks good

Task

Write your summary report Write about 250 words

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Name: _

LANGUAGE

BECV/BULATS

Companies such as Apple, Amazon and Google were all 1 of building businesses using technology and creating their own digital marketing 2 Nowadays, the first stop for consumers tends to be the internet, so if your company does not have the right 3 to target potential

consumers, it is likely to fail Being able to

4 as many visits to a website as possible into sales is every company’s ultimate aim Data 5 (using computers to analyse vast amounts of data e.g customer browsing habits on websites) has been a huge asset to marketing, helping companies identify their client base more clearly Some people can find it very 6 to have adverts pop up on websites when they browse, but for a company it is a very good way to target customers Social media sites like Facebook also help businesses identify their client base, while enabling them to 7 their products for these customers A targeted email to interested consumers is no longer new but still provides another avenue to reinforce a relationship and help with

8 into sales However, as more and more 9 in technology come along, digital marketing will keep changing.In particular,

10 technologies such as the smartphone,

change the marketplace entirely and the way that potential consumers can be targeted

1 You need to change your phone settings to access

You you change your phone settings

2 Companies have to develop their digital business in

Companies

their digital business

3 You have to spend at least £1,000 per month to get

We offer 10 percent discount

at least £1,000 per month

4 Unless a company keeps up to date with

technological advances, it loses its competitive edge.PROVIDING A company

up to date with technological advances

5 We haven’t got the funds, so we can’t invest in new

If in new technology

6 Using the best technology will increase sales

LONG Sales the best technology

7 You must have a smartphone to get this service IF

You can only

a smartphone

8 My advice to you is not to recruit any more staff at

If any more staff at the moment

9 If you offered a bigger discount, we’d buy more.PROVIDED We’d buy more

a bigger discount

10 We could ask staff to work from home, but would

Would to work from home?

/10

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Name: _

PTE Part B Sentence completion

3 Complete the sentences with ONE word in each gap

1 Can you slow a bit? We can talk about that later

2 We do need to with the cost issue, but let’s finish talking about schedules first

3 It’s not a priority, but we can come to that topic later

4 Let her finish the she’s trying to make, please

5 Could you just over that again for me, please?

/5

This proposal aims 1 look at increasing our production capacity Recently we have been unable to meet customer orders due to a lack of capacity

In 2 to solve this problem, we need to invest in more factory space

Despite the initial high costs of increasing factory space, we would be able to 3 the cost of investment within two years

To 4 up, I therefore 5 that we invest in more space as soon as possible

/5

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Markus’s notes on retained technical service contract

Supplier deals with more 1 problems The most serious problems usually due to external 2

Technical service always available so can cover IT employee 3

Specific amount of 4 are contracted

Listening 2 Voicemail message For: Mr Johns From: Hiro Kazui

Mr Kazui is delayed and now arrives at 5

tomorrow

Doesn’t need to be met Will be there for 6

at the Balford as per original schedule

Mr Babic will attend 9 a.m meeting as planned Mr Babic to give clear details of products needed and 7

Email Mr Kazui the draft 8 contract agreed with Mr Babic Discuss details in the evening

a the company has lost some of its market share b the system is not reliable

c investment in staff is vital 3 From a production point of view

a their factory technology doesn’t work well

b they need to change equipment suppliers

c there has been a lack of investment in ordering and

distribution systems

4 At first, Jonathan suggests that staff should a help solve their problems

b attend regular meetings

c be kept out of important decisions 5 Jonathan says that they need to a discuss more approaches to efficiency b update all company systems immediately c prevent staff from working for rivals

6 Karim suggests that in the main offices they should a file information more often

b stop repeating processes

c keep hard copies of files in case of tech problems 7 Before they finish, Alejandra wants to discuss

company security because

a staff take too many ten-minute breaks b it takes too long

c staff need to go out for fresh air

/7

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Write your proposal To: Ivan Torres From: Office manager Re: Proposed new software

Can you look at the attached details of possible software packages we could use to solve the inefficiency problems and then write a proposal recommending one?

IKL ADMIN SOFTWARE FOR BUSINESSES WITH 1–20 STAFF

for optimum efficiency scheduling staff attendance automatic payroll automated daily tasks

+

technical service contract NEVER WORRY ABOUT IT ISSUES AGAIN!

good for office expansion 15 staff

now/ might expand soon

integrated helpdesk only

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To: Systems Manager From: Operations Director Subject: Recent complaints

I’m very concerned about the large number of customer complaints Customer Service has been handling recently, regarding orders, deliveries and Customer Service staff Please could you investigate the issues, look into new order and distribution processing systems and write a proposal with your recommendations? Also, could you let me know if more staff training is needed

DVStar Systems presents

ORDERING AND DISTRIBTUION SYSTEMS TO CREATE SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

Automated order and distribution systems for personalised customer service Tailored to your needs and guaranteed to

streamline all processes

Same day pick, pack and dispatch for orders by 2 p.m Tracks delivery and checks postcodes to avoid incorrect

destinations

Delivery tracking for customer and supplier Client rating: 5 star

Our clients say:

‘We now have many more long-term clients thanks to DVStar Systems.’

‘Customers love our super-efficient business Thank you, DVStar!’

Task

Write your summary report Write 250–300 words